Lessons and Lesson Plans

The time has finally come for that awkward blog post that I have been dreading... The one where I haven't written in over a month! Oops. Please, pull up a chair as I enlighten you about one of the most stressful months of my life.

At the end of July until the beginning of August I had a few days off between semesters, so I decided to head up to northern Perú thanks to the invite of a local missionary, César, to see the most beautiful beaches in the country, and boy were they beautiful!

This little gem of a beach is called Zorritos (Little Foxes), and we sat here for hours enjoying the sun and relaxing sounds of the waves :-) We only encountered a handful of people on both days combined. Que rico!

This lovely beach is called Máncora which is the most touristy beach there is in Perú. I saw many friendly gringo faces after days of pure Peruvians!

This is Puerto Pizzaro with Whyny, the daughter of the family I stayed with in Tumbes.

From Puerto Pizzaro we went on the sketchiest boat ever and saw a LOT of birds. This place is literally called Bird Island.

One of the highlights of the trip is that I got to go to ECUADOR! I have wanted to go to Ecuador for some time, and so this was like a dream come true! César and I walked across the border from Aguas Verdes to Huaquillas, had a smoothie with an Ecuadorian grilled cheese sandwich, and bought sunglasses and earrings. Unfortunately there is so much commercial exchange between these two cities that they don't stamp passports. I left Ecuador a little heartbroken that I didn't have a stamped passport. At least I can say I walked across the border...

And that I took my first motorcycle ride!

I stayed in less than desirable conditions in Tumbes (there was a pig, cold water, lots of dirt, and a rat hunt), but it was one of the best experiences of my life! A Tumbesina family welcomed me, an unknown gringa, so openly into their home. Likewise, César took off multiple days from work to make sure I was comfortable and enjoying my time there. I really wouldn't have felt safe without him by my side! This trip was a good reminder of just how hospitable Peruvians are. Amid all the frustrations their strong cultural differences have caused me, they generally have huge hearts--Christians and non-Christians alike. As much fun as I had, I was very happy to finally be home in Trujillo. Living in Trujillo has made me appreciate what I have in the States, and staying in Tumbes made me appreciate what I have in Trujillo. I firmly believe everyone needs to have the chance to experience another reality like this to make you appreciate the little things (things like hot water, carpet, clorox, and toilet paper).

Returning from Tumbes (five hours late thanks to "difficulties" with the bus which made me miss work Saturday morning--oops!), I went to the wedding of two people from my Peruvian church. The traditions were quite similar to an American wedding, but the whole event was much less serious than an American wedding. Jokes were being made throughout the ceremony, and a good time was had by all! They sure do look happy, right? Haha. I am diggin the father of the bride with his aviators during the whole ceremony.

Starting from that Saturday during the whole month I averaged about 4 hours of sleep per night as I was trying to keep up with planning for my 3 classes, hosting friends in Trujillo, and planning my trip to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador! All of August was an incredibly rushed month, but I am still thanking God for my time here! This is the part where I lamely encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and explore the world! There is so much to be learned about what God has created for us. We lack so much understanding due to living our lives so comfortably confined within our own home, and I think this is what has ultimately caused a lot of conflicts, wars, and prejudices in our world. If we increase our understanding of others, walk a mile in their shoes, hurt for their pain and feel joy for their triumphs, intentionally causing them pain becomes unimaginable. Thank goodness for August and all it taught me, but PRAISE JESUS for September and the relief it has brought.

Fear not, faithful readers! The next update will be Galapagos galore. I know that is the main reason you decided to visit my blog today! :-)